Lighting design as applies to the built environment, is both a science and an art. Lighting of structures must consider aesthetic elements as well as practical considerations of quantity of light required, occupants of the structure, energy efficiency and cost.

The amount of daylight received in an internal space can be analyzed by undertaking a Daylight factor calculation. For simple installations, hand-calculations based on tabular data can be used to provide an acceptable lighting design.

More critical or optimized designs now routinely use mathematical modeling on a computer using software which can allow an engineer to quickly undertake complex calculations to review the benefit of a particular design.In some design instances, materials used on walls and furniture play a key role in the lighting effect.